Trends to Watch in the Data Infra & AI Space in 2026

​As we head into the new year, we’re spotlighting insights from seasoned experts to offer a fresh, unbiased perspective on what’s coming next in data infrastructure and AI.

Some of the topics we’ll discuss:

• ​What 2026 will look like based on the key shifts and trends we saw in 2025.

• ​The continued convergence of streaming and batch into unified data platforms

• ​The acquisition of Confluent by IBM and Manus by Meta -what that means for the data infra and AI space

• ​Continued development of AI-native data infra, especially for agentic AI systems.

• ​The popularity of open table formats, especially Apache Iceberg.

• ​Cost, performance, and complexity trade-offs as data infra matures

​Speakers:

• ​Sanjeev Mohan, Principal, SanjMo

• ​Dinesh Chandrasekhar, Industry Analyst, Stratola LLC

• ​Ben O'Mahony, Principal AI Engineer, Thoughtworks

• ​Yingjun Wu, Founder and CEO at RisingWave Labs